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Content in the Indiana Farmer Collection is in the public domain (published before 1923) or lacks a known copyright holder. Digital images in the collection may be used for educational, non-commercial, or not-for-profit purposes.

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Purdue University Libraries

Date Digitized

2011-03-07

Digitization Information

Original scanned at 300 ppi on a Bookeye 3 scanner using internal software. Display images generated in CONTENTdm as JP2000s; file format for archival copy is uncompressed TIF format.

Content in the Indiana Farmer Collection is in the public domain (published before 1923) or lacks a known copyright holder. Digital images in the collection may be used for educational, non-commercial, or non-for-profit purposes.

VOL. XXIX.
INDIANAPOLIS. IND. MARCH 31, 1894.
NO. 13
■ '4
J
Couldn't Do Without the Farmsr.
Editobs Indiaka Fabmbb:
I think more of the Fabmbb thau ever.
I did without it three weeks after my time
expired, thinking I would do without it
owing to hard times but I found lt was a
mistake and tbat I must economize in
some other way rather than stopping a
good farm paper. F. S. Hamilton.
Johnson Co.
Deep Flowing and Subsoiling.
Editobs Indiana Fabhkbt
Mr. Dempcey came to Clay Co, in this
Btate a few years ago and bought u wot-
out farm. It had beoome so exhausted
that the former owner moved off it. He
could not make a living on it. The neighbors jeered Mr. D. over his poor land. He
asked them it it ever was fertile. They
said it was. He told to them wait and see.
He had plenty of teamB, so he broke his
ground as deep as he could plow it with a
two horse plow. Then he subsoiled it
■ with a deep plow of his own invention.
He put four horses to it and followed in
the furrow after the plow. He tore the
ground up over one foot deep, but did not
throw any of the subsoil on top. The result was the first crop ol wheat averaged
over 20 bushels per acre. It is now claimed
that Mr. D., has the best tilled farm ln the
county. He can raise good corn as wheat
on it. His subsoiler was made like a huge
sinele shovel plow. The plow was narrow
and long with plenty of suck.
Newton, 111. D. M.
Alsike Clover.
Sditobs Indiana Fabmbb:
I would like some information in regard
to Alsike clover. The time to sow it and
whether it makes a hay crop and seed crop
the same year; and if it does which crop
would be harvested first, the seed or hay?
Also how much seed it makes to the acre
on good land? And where can I purchase
the seed? Please answer and oblige.
Bloomfield. T. C. O.
—Very little Alsike or Swedish clover is
grown in this part of the country, which
seems strange in view of the fact that it is
more hardy than red clover and is as
sweet and nutritious, will produce good
_ crops for four or five years and does well
' on stiff clay soil, too moist for the red variety. It has a smaller stalk than red and
ls greatly relished by all kinds of stock.
Beekeepers regard it as one of the very
best honey plants. The blossoms are on
for four or five weeks and have a peculiarly
rich fragrance. It yields but one crop in
a season which is a disadvantage and the
yield is not so heavy as that of red clover.
Any of the seedsmen who advertise with
us can furnish the seed. Sow six pounds
to the acre. The price ls 25 to 30 cents per
pound. If any of our readers have tried
Alsike will thsy please give their experience for the benefit of this and other read-
era?
Another Plan for a Hot Bed.
ECtTOBS INDIIHA F ARM IB*
Knowing that the readers of Indiana
Fabhkb are always ready for new ideas, I
send you another plan for making a hot
bed to be kept warm by a fire or furnace.
H. W. Buck.ee, of Bockford, HI., gave us
a good article on hot beds in Farmer of
March 3. His description if. carried out
will no doubt work well, but we people
out here think lt too mnch tronble to have
to make new bot beds every year, so we
make them as follows:
Select a well-drained location and one
that is never flooded by rain; then mark
out the size you want your bed, say 6x12
feet. This will make a small one. We
have them here 9x20 feet, or larger. Then
dig and throw out the dirt to the depth of
about 12 inches all over the space for the
bed. Next dig a space about two feet
deep ln the center of the lowest end ot the
bed, and two feet wide, extending three or
four feet beyond the end of bed. The
upper end of this space should be slanted
up to the level of the first dug out. Now
to make the f urnhce, stand some rocks on
edge for sides, then rocks crosswlse*on the
top; then throw dirt on top. When this
is covered back as far as the bed, commence putting down rock, say four inches
thick, cany way to make them convenient,
and lay fiat rock over them. Cover the
whole space of your bed. Tliis will let the
heat pass under all the bed evenly. A
hole in the center of the rear end will
ssrve for chimney. If the rock is properly laid down, so that no dirt will sift
through, it will last for years and is always ready. Now put about 6 or 8 Inches
of good dirt (no manure or straw) on top
of the rock all over the bed, and perhaps a
little thicker even and back of fire or furnace. Put your frame around the bed so
as to hold the dirt in place, and your bed
is ready to be bad heated up. This can be
done in a couple of days, and then a very
little fire will keep lt warm enough. Kiln
cannot injure this bed as much as other
kinds, as water cannot stand on it. Some
cover with glass, others use muslin or
plank. Keep the cover on of nights or
during bad weather. There is another advantage in this kind of a bed, for as fast as
earlier plants are taken out later ones can
be planted and so on; the heat will be always be the same. J. C. Hobson.
■ • .
Going Into the Sorgum Business.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
I would like to ask some questions to
be answered by A. P. Cleland, or others
that have had experience in the sorgum
business. 1. To prolong the season for
making the sirup, would it be better to
plant an early and a late variety, or make
two or more plantings of one good variety? 2. Give kind and oost of machinery used to make the sirup? 3. Would
barrels, if got now of the groceryman, do
to put the sirup in? I mean barrels that
have been used for sirups, such as corn
sirup. 4. Can you get a market where
you can dispose of your whole crop at a
time? Suppose yon had 1,000 gallons. I
want to try a few acres of sorgum this
coming season. Jas. G. Lions.
Editobs India jr a Fabmbb:
In reply to Jas. G. Lyons: To prolong
the season for sorgum molasses manufacturing. 1. Plant Early Golden, Early
Amber, Folger's Early and Early Orange,
which will give you a long season, all
planted at the same time. I have planted
Amber, a small patch each week, up tb
June 20th, and that planted May 20th was
ripe as soon as that planted May 1st. The
largest yield was from Amber pl